Continuing in my fall series on preparing for a Lancaster County winter, I wanted to focus on Lancaster City and the boroughs such as Millersville, East Petersburg, Mountville, Columbia City, Quarryville, Elizabethtown, Denver, etc. In these towns there is a concentration of older row homes, usually brick but sometimes stick built, that have unique challenges to and opportunities for energy efficiency.
Row homes have the advantage of generally having one or both side (party walls adjoining another heated space. Another advantage is the thicker masonry walls and tighter spaces that typify a city home. Disadvantages are generally poor insulation, antiquated heat and hot water systems, and sub-par windows. To make your row home "greener" you've got to maximize your home's advantages and minimize the disadvantages. Here's a few ideas.
- Low $$ idea - stop at Home Depot and pick up some insulating tape, caulking, window covering and sealant. Then go over each exterior door and fill all gaps and seal the base of the door securely. Drafts entering here account for a lot of heat loss. Cover each uninsulated window with the shrink wrap carefully. Another thing I see all the time is loose window panes and gaps between the window and sill. Caulk or tape these to stop air leakage.
- More $$ - buy storm windows right away, or better yet have the windows facing into the north/west winds with modern, Low-E double-pane units. Again, be sure all gaps are sealed tight.
- Check out your radiators (if you have them) and get them bled at least once, or even twice during the cold season. Poor radiator performance is a huge issue in the city and a real $$ eater.
- If you're looking to really revamp your long-term energy usage, consider an upgrade to a high-efficiency gas furnace (gas is widely available in the urban areas). Read how I upgraded my furnace this summer for $0 down and $60 a month with easily-available financing for energy-efficient upgrades. The old boilers and furnaces found in many urban homes are extremely inefficient - I say go for it!
- Use the passive solar techniques I outlined in my previous article to maximize the heat-conducting masonry walls in your home, and the east-facing windows. Lose the awnings, too.
- Add attic insulation if you have one - try self-installing for cost savings. Home Depot offers a rental of a blower to blow in insulation. Here's my article on this subject.
- Wrap your hot water heater - also available at stores is a simple insulation kit to wrap around your gas or electric hot water heater. This will help with older units, not so much the newer ones. Every little bit, though, saves money. Wrapping allows the unit to retain the heat a bit longer, using less energy. If you're replacing the heater, consider a tankless hot water unit - the pricing is now competitive and they're becoming more common. They only run when hot water is called for, eliminating 90% of the energy usage to keep the water perpetually hot...
- Fireplaces - they come in all sizes, shapes and designs in the row homes. Follow the basic fireplace guidelines I wrote about recently.
That's it for today - insulate, service and replace as needed. Now get cracking - and save yourself some energy dollars right away!
Series Part One - Fireplaces
Series Part Two - Using Passive Solar
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